Hello All,
This past three weeks has been a very mixed bag regarding achievements and emotions. It is hard to believe that April 2 was exactly six months here in Ghana. During my time I have met some of the best people on this planet and experienced things that I never expected. To say that this adventure has been life changing would be an understatement. Because of these feelings, I have decided to stay for three months following the end of my volunteer term which expired on April 1. Working the extra three months will allow me to better establish the projects I have started and train incoming volunteers in June about the Labour & Trafficking project and the new initiatives. I also want to say that I haven’t forgotten all the people who have offered their support for my projects. In the coming weeks I will be reaching out to all of you asking for your help with financing some projects I have created. Please contact me via email JFire13@gmail.com or on Facebook if you already haven’t done so and are interested in helping!
TEACHING
Three weeks ago the public school teachers in Ghana went on strike for salary issues. Public servants were recently put on a “single spine” salary system and some of the bonuses that were promised to the teachers have not been delivered. When I first arrived at Senya DA Primary to teach, the classrooms were open but the teachers were not teaching and most of the students had gone home. Fortunately I was able to teach a handful of my students who had hung around. The next day I went to Senya expecting the same deal, open building but no lessons. Instead I found that the building was locked and only a few students from the whole school were still in the compound. Four of those students were from my class and I told them that if they wanted to stick around, I would teach. One of the boys looked at me and said, “How will you teach with no chalk?!” I had to laugh! Because of the casual atmosphere of holding a class outside on the steps, I just had them tell me a story about their favorite experience or holiday with their families. This was not as easy as I thought it would be for them. None of them could tell me any stories or memories and would only give me their detailed family history. It made me wonder if they really didn’t have any fond memories with their family or it wasn’t something that they think about or value. After our little “lesson” I visited the houses of my two best students. Since I started teaching here I could always notice a lack of confidence by the students and stories of a home life that doesn’t value education. I wanted to tell these parents that their children were excellent students who could do anything they want if they continue learning with the passion they have shown in my class. More importantly, I wanted to try and give the parents a sense of pride about their children’s accomplishments in school. The public school teachers strike lasted through the next week which meant no teaching for me. Since school has resumed, classes have been wonderful. This past week I was giving my final lesson of the term before the go on vacation for a few weeks. Because the students were preparing to write exams, the rooms had been arranged differently. In the room I teach in, the partition that separates my class and the neighboring class was removed. Their teacher was not conducting a lesson so the entire class was listening and participating in my English lesson. It was nice to have different responses and my students enjoyed having the older kids involved with their lesson.
Locked Out
Locked Out
Locked Out
Locked Out
Combined Classes
The other school I teach in, Nali High International School is private and therefore was not involved in the teacher strike. Right now, my students are preparing for their upcoming final exams which will determine if they go to senior high school and if so, which one. Over the past few weeks I reviewed their pitiful mock English exams with them and have really been focusing on reading comprehension. Their mock English exam scores ranged from 50-68% which is terrible but they only need a 70% to be considered excellent. Their scores on the overall test that included all subjects ranged from 11-72%. After reading some of their answers, I couldn’t help but get the feeling that some of these students are doomed. It is a terrible feeling when you realize this even though the student(s) try hard in class and you can tell that they are just not good at taking exams. This depressed feeling carried over to the next week when I was attempting to conduct a reading comprehension lesson with only one book for six students. I looked at the class and said, “This is ridiculous! I am buying new books for all of us by next week.” I don’t know if they were scared, shocked or both but they certainly showed that no teacher had ever bought them a book to use in class. Since then, the English classes have been a joy to teach and I am not struggling to have the class read a story with one book and then for me to dictate the questions to them. Teaching them to use a passage to find the answers is something they have never done but it seems that they are realizing how easy questions can be if you just take the time to find the answer. Like in my other class, there is one student who continues to make it all worth it. She reads very well and can write full stories with ease. It’s hard to see how demoralized and unmotivated she is because there has never been a teacher or individual pushing her, or the other students, to achieve more than they think is possible. I wish I had more time with these students before their exam and I wish that their school and teachers hadn’t given up on them. All I can do now is try to build their literacy skills and confidence and hope it can translate into improved scores on the exam. If not, at least the skills and their belief in themselves will stick with them after they are done schooling.
LABOUR & TRAFFICKING
The past few weeks on the Child Labour &Trafficking project has been a lot of information gathering. While we are still interviewing children who have been trafficked and their families, we noticed that a lot of children have returned to Yeji or we already identified and interviewed most of them in the Senya community. Also, now that the village is familiar with CHF and our interviews/sponsorships we have encountered more and more people who give us false stories in hopes that we will give them money. Some of it is so bad that I can tell people are lying to us even though I can’t understand the language. As a result, we are going to slow down the amount of interviews we are conducting to ensure quality over quantity. I also suggested that we move to the other towns we sponsor students in and reevaluate the trafficking situation there. If nothing else, it will show the community and fishermen that we are still there and still working on this issue. After one of the interviews, we revisited a girl who we interviewed last year. A former Ghanaian volunteer would like to sponsor her to go to school and allow the girl to live in her house so she can help with the family business and taking care of the children. I asked around and this is normal for Ghana. As long as she is going to school and not strenuously working or spending too much time watching the children, I think it is a good idea.
An initiative I have been trying to work on to improve the Labour & Trafficking project is to establish some kind of apprenticeship or training program. In the past three weeks I have been going to observe and evaluate training programs which are offered by the Ghana Education Services Non-Formal Education Division. They all seem to be well run but each face their own different problem. The first is a dressmaking course that teaches women to be seamstresses. It is a three year program but the women need to provide their own sewing machine and tuition. This could easily reach 1,000 Ghana Cedis ($500 USD) which is an enormous amount of money in Senya Beraku. While I was meeting with the supervisor of this program, she introduced me to the facilitator for a training program in catering. This is a two year program where the women learn how to do large scale catering events like weddings and funerals, which are huge in Ghana, and also the traditional decorations for them. This past week I went to find out about an English training course. It seems like a wonderful FREE program except no one attends it! The course is six hours every week and they provide exercise books, training materials and story books for the advanced students. The facilitator also told me that the government has not given the incentives which were promised to the teachers for two years. They are not cash incentives but rather material things like cement, bicycles, sewing machines, roofing sheets, etc. I told him that I can’t provide him with any kind of money or gifts but I can go to the government office and try to put a little more pressure on them to deliver on their promises. Like most things in Ghana that deal with the government, I don’t have high expectations that this will be resolved quickly or at all. In the meantime, Freeman and I will compile a list of candidates who we think would be good for these programs and present the idea to them. For the free English and Fantse (local language) literacy programs, we will enroll those who are interested immediately.
A month or two ago my main focus was setting up a demonstration farm to teach the parents of our sponsored children. They would learn how to farm and be able to raise crops on their own beds to help feed their family and sell on the market. Ideally, this would alleviate some financial strain so they would be able to send more of their children to school instead of Yeji to fish. After meeting with the sub-chief about acquiring 40 acres of land, we realized that even 5 acres was going to be too expensive for our budget. Now, I would like to try and renegotiate with the sub-chief because I don’t think our local coordinator presented the idea to him properly. After discussing it with the coordinator, it sounds like he told the sub-chief that we want to buy the land so we can work it when in reality CHF would not profit from it at all. The hard part is that these chiefs always say they are working for the members of their community but it seems that is only true when there is money to be made from the deal. I want to put pressure on him and the other elders to show them how we are doing this for the people in their community who truly need assistance. Hopefully they can prove that they are really working to better the lives of the people who they represent.
TRAVEL
Over the past few weekends I have gone to an Easter celebration on a local beach, two beach resorts and a place called Wli (pronounced vlee) Agorviefe where there is a spectacular waterfall, Wli Falls. On Easter Monday, Ghanaians like to go party on the beach. We organized some people and food and went to a local beach I like to visit during the week. Typically I am the only one on the beach but for this day, there had to be at least 20,000 people there…absolutely crazy. It was great being with so many Ghanaians celebrating in their own way with music, food, drinks, and plenty of dancing. At Wli Falls, two new volunteers and I took a hike to the upper falls which was really beautiful and secluded; exactly what I needed after not being able to take a legit hike in over six months. We also stopped by the monkey sanctuary which I had been to before so they could check it out. The beaches were nice relaxing weekends, one with a new volunteer and the other with Victoria and two new volunteers. It is always hard coming back to Kasoa after these weekends!
Upper Wli Falls
Upper Wli Falls
Upper Wli Falls
Lower Wli Falls
GHANA
In Ghana I have had a lot of conversations about religion. I have also dodged a lot of conversations and questions about religion. A few weeks ago I was in Senya one evening trying to observe the English training class. It turned out that they were on a break that week and I would have to wait to hear from the coordinator. Instead Hayford, our local coordinator, and I went to get a drink. Normally I am in Senya from 10am till 2pm. That day I had gone in the evening because of the class and by the time we got to the spot (bar) it was 5pm. To me, Senya has always been a hot miserable place where I only get glimmers of hope from a few individuals. That evening showed me a different side of Senya, away from the trafficked and depressed children I am in constant contact with. There was a cool breeze coming off the ocean and the fading sun had painted the sky orange and pink. Because of the teachers strike, kids were everywhere laughing and playing and as usual, there was the loud distorted highlife and azonto music which has become the soundtrack of my stay in Ghana flowing into the streets from shops and houses. Two friends joined us at the spot where we began discussing our vision for Hayfords school (the one I organized the cleanup day at). Hayford is a rare find in Ghana. Because of the entrenched poverty in Senya, school fees are collected every morning from the children, about one Ghana Cedi (50 cents). This covers their day at school and a basic lunch. What has impressed me is that Hayford would rather a student come to school and learn than kick them out of school, sack them, for missing school fees. He even has a handful of students who can’t pay but he knows they want to be in school. A lot of the schools I have visited seem to focus more on the money than their real purpose, empowerment through education. After talking about what needs to be done to complete the school building and how to review their finances so teachers’ salaries aren’t delayed, I discussed how I can help and what I expect from the staff and administration. The conversation soon turned to religion when Hayford asked me, “How can a guy who gives as much as you do not believe in god?” I couldn’t help but laugh! After discussing my beliefs or non-beliefs with the group I was amazed at how respectful they were about the things I was saying. I could tell that they didn’t agree with them, but usually I get such strong pushback when it comes to religion that it was nice, for once, to just see them nodding and asking more questions. At one point I compared Hayford with myself. We both believe in education and the power it holds. Both of us believe that you should have access to an education no matter what economic class you were born into and that there are enough resources to educate everyone if we become creative with how we run the school or education system. Similarly, we both think it is worth sacrificing personal wealth or luxuries to make education possible for those who are not in the position to pay for food and education at the same time. I then posed the question, “Why does it matter what I believe in or who I pray to if we are striving to achieve the same thing and try to live our lives as genuinely good people?” The three of them seemed stumped by this. For the first time, I didn’t hear “Because you have to give you life to Christ.” I’m not trying to tell them that their beliefs are wrong or they should believe in what I do but rather I am trying to encourage a tolerance for other beliefs and ways of life. This beautiful evening in a foreign place with amazing friends and such positive energy helped me push away all the clutter in my mind and refocus on what can get done in the coming months.
THOUGHTS
Like I mentioned in the opening, April 2, 2013 marked six months here in Ghana. To say it has all been easy would be a complete lie. Six months kind of crept up on me and when I realized how long it has been it opened a floodgate of thoughts and feelings. I think it is fair to say that working in the education field and dealing with severely impoverished communities in the developing world is a pretty thankless job most of the time. If it weren’t for the small victories, achievements or interactions each day, I would be absolutely crazy by now. That said, it’s hard to stay focused on what’s possible when the complexity of poverty is something you can’t fully wrap your head around. It’s hard to keep progressing and staying positive when you are inundated with terrible situations, problems, frustrating experiences and people all while trying to maintain a life away from work. It’s hard to deal with people asking for handouts and harassing you day in and day out. Most of all, it’s hard to keep grinding on when you can’t even tell if the individuals you are directly helping are thankful. All of these seem more manageable if there was some kind of support to go along with it. With such a small organization and no other volunteers working on the Labour & Trafficking project with me, there is no one to discuss these issues with or help with project ideas. Not only that but being one of two volunteers who has been here longer than two months puts you in a world of you own. Things are no longer new and no one can really relate to what I have already experienced. Sometimes I laugh because I can see myself in the things the new volunteers do or see but there is no one to share that with or laugh with me. Six months hit and I just felt tired. Tired of being “on” every second of the day. Tired of giving my all to something without any support and without seeing many results. Tired of sweating 24 hours a day, constantly being dirty and waking up to scratch one of my 10 mosquito bites. Tired of the extreme ups and downs which seem to drain you every other day. Tired of not being able to help people who don’t have any support system. Tired of all the external stresses while trying to navigate a relationship with someone special. Tired of being tired.
Ok. Enough complaining…
Around the six month mark something changed. Riding back in a tro-tro from another weekend at the beach, I was looking out the window as usual but everything looked different. It was no longer this crazy, loud, dirty foreign land. I knew where I was. I understand a lot of the conversation around me and feel like I can relate to others because of my experiences and the people I work with. Driving back to Kasoa was, at least for a moment, peaceful. It looked beautiful. It felt like home. While I am constantly reminded that I am an outsider and don’t always feel at home, this was a great feeling to have at such a time.
Even though I feel like I have a lot of arbitrary things to complain about sometimes, I still feel tremendously fortunate. I worked my ass off to get here and have been rewarded with a life changing experience full of new wonderful people, places and perspectives. On top of that, I seem to spend each weekend in a literal paradise whether it is a beach, mountain, rainforest, or barren savannah land. Eventually, I am always reminded of the reasons I am here. Most recently it was from a man named Ahmed. He is the English training class’s facilitator who I mentioned earlier that hasn’t received any kind of compensation for two years. When I spoke with him I could still feel his passion and dedication for teaching his community members. The fact that he hasn’t been paid was only brought up after I was prodding him for more information about the program and how the government sponsors it. He was genuinely upset that attendance in the class was abysmal and wanted to know if I could help to improve it. Speaking to individuals like him and his supervisor who are quietly working on these vital programs is the fuel I need to keep going. There are plenty of nameless and faceless people out there who are selflessly working for others. Finding one and interacting with them is the best gift I could ever receive.
Another Wonderful Individual, Miriam
I have to take a moment to thank my family for being so supportive especially in the last six or seven months. Although you guys aren’t here, your thoughts and ideas have influenced a lot of lives through my work in Ghana. Sometimes it is hard to get in contact with each other but I cherish those short late night phone calls I make or waking you up, Sue, early in the morning. At times being this far has been hard and I really miss you all. Thank you for being there and giving me the support and advice I need.
I miss and love you all,
John
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